Top city for taxing travelers? Chicago (NBCNews)This year’s report, “Travel Taxes in the US: The Best and Worst Cities to Visit,” found that taxes targeting travelers impose an average cost of 57 percent more than general sales taxes. Taxes on travel-related services, called discriminatory travel taxes, are for things like hotel stays, car rentals and meals at restaurants. These travel taxes are above and beyond the general sales tax, are borne largely by travelers, Bates said, and are often used to fund local projects unrelated to tourism and business travel.